The American trash based society is changing. Recycling, formerly frowned upon, is becoming both a needed fad and a ordinance enforced necessity. Along with this trend toward recycling, the number of apartment, condominium and small house dwellers is expanding as living styles and affluence change.
The normal way to separate trash or recyclable materials has been to devote a bag or container to each type. As recycling becomes more precise in determining the values of the various components the number of containers needed has multiplied. It is not unusual for glass to be collected in three colors, clear, green and amber; for cans to require another storage space; and for paper; cardboard and several types of plastics to be curbside or recycle center separated. With this diversity of different materials being collected, the storage space requirement has also been multiplied. There is a need for compact storage methods.
The simplest method of collection and storage was to line up a series of garbage cans. This was easy and relatively cheap. It was also so space intensive that many users could not use the method.
The next popular storage method was the use of bins that lined up in a row, typically each in a frame and with a bag to hold the recyclables. This also was only a small saving in space, acting like a series of smaller square garbage cans.
There have been a variety of storage methods to reach the market that attempted to reduce the size and cost of the early bin approach. The most obvious was a series of plastic mini bins, color coded or labeled in some cases, which were stackable. These bins were convenient to use and they could be carried to the curb easily. The disadvantages were that when stacked they could fall, and they still required a lot of space to use effectively. These bins remain bulky and hard to use.
As recycling became more common, there were further refinement including use of compartmented containers. Typically three or four compartments were formed by placing dividers in the cans, or by providing grid which fit so that it would support one or more bags, typically fastened with individual spring clamps that engaged the can top or grid and hold the bag in place. These U shaped grips or clamps were effective but they easily got lost. In a few cases these clamps had ties holding them to the can but the ties also would break. Without the clamps, there was little use for the cover since the bag was not held in place.